CTK Alumna Committed to Positively Impacting Young People through Forensic Psychology

Tamia Watts, CTK ’20 has made a concerted effort to overcome self-doubt and lack of confidence by putting herself in situations where she can grow or bring about positive change in others. She discovered and is pursuing a career in a relatively new psychology field, forensic psychology, which will allow her to help troubled kids in the juvenile system in her West Side community. The 2024 College of St. Benedict (CSB) graduate is currently in her second year of a three-year program at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, pursuing her master’s degree in forensic psychology and clinical counseling. In addition to being a full-time grad student, her busy schedule includes working overnights at the Lydia Home for kids who have experienced severe trauma, as well as volunteering at Cook County jail to support counselors working with individuals in custody who suffer from mental illness while they are awaiting trial. 

Tamia was the first in her family to attend college. While supportive of her higher education pursuit, her parents were not pleased with her choice of an out-of-state college. Her decision to attend a small liberal arts college in Minnesota was largely influenced by her visit as part of an admitted student fly-in program in the fall of 2019. She was won over by the beautiful campus, small class size, positive interactions with current students & professors, and eventually a generous financial aid package. She entered as a nursing major, but the impact of Covid during her first two years led her to change her major first to biology and eventually to psychology. She recalls, “I took a psychology class that broke down the anatomy of the brain and how thoughts and actions are impacted by what we see and hear. Something just clicked for me. I fell in love with it!” 

Tamia’s acclimation to college and living away from home for the first time was aided by having two of her CTK classmates enrolled at CSB. Haley Rowell, Alexzandrea (Alex) Lewis-Smith went from high school acquaintances to close friends during their time at CSB. Tamia benefited from having two people who came from similar backgrounds, and whom she was comfortable enough to confide in and help her connect with others socially. The three young women shared an apartment for the last two years and participated in some of the same clubs, including an Afro-STEM club started by Alex, with Tamia serving as treasurer. 

Tamia valued her independence in college. “It was nice being on my own and organizing my own schedule. While at home I had relied on my mom, but being at college and managing my own time helped me to learn and grow.” She needed to learn how to juggle her classes, outside activities, meetings, and work schedule. Tamia’s involvement in multiple clubs/activities was the main source of her college social life, including the psychology team, Caribbean Association, and as a student ambassador for first-generation students. The self-described “workaholic” also maintained two jobs, one on campus as part of financial aid/work study and one off campus. For three years, she worked as a student manager at a local co-op near the campus called the MN Street Market, where she established a strong connection with other employees while managing store inventory and invoices. 

During her senior year, her future plan began to come into focus.  She had always wanted to work with children, with whom she was able to establish a better rapport than with the adult population. While researching different psychology fields, she came across one within the juvenile justice system which was relatively new – forensic psychology. In trying to see how it could fit into her life, she took the advice of one of her professors, “to look in her community and see where she could best help her community.” Growing up on the West Side of Chicago, she was exposed to a lot of violence, living with a constant backdrop of sirens and gunshots. She recognized that a lot of the arrests involved children between the ages of 12-18. “I felt this was something I needed to do, to help show these kids that there are other options, and that there are resources and support systems available to utilize instead of turning to violence, drugs, or bad influences. Forensic psychology was a field that could allow me to reach those young people and help change their lives.” She decided she would invest her time and energy into what she was passionate about – helping to make a difference in young people’s lives in her community.

Through research, she identified a program in downtown Chicago that offered a master’s degree in forensic psychology.  Other programs available led to a degree in clinical psychology with a specialty in forensic psychology. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology program has allowed her to jump right into taking courses in her areas of interest, including law classes where she can learn how laws and court proceedings impact individuals. The program includes her preferred smaller class sizes, and “the opportunity to learn from individuals who have worked in the field, including Cook County jail. This allows them to share real stories & examples to back up everything they are teaching us.” 

She is looking forward to the internship and practicum opportunities during her 3rd year, which she will begin applying to this semester. One program she plans to apply to is called CARP – Clinical Assessment Rehabilitation Program at Cook County Jail’s juvenile facility. She just finished a yearlong volunteer stint working with the adult population, lending her support to the clinical counselors leading Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) sessions with individuals awaiting trial who suffer from mental illness.

Tamia is glad to be back in Chicago. While her mother made the decision for her to attend Christ the King, she doesn’t regret it and is “thankful she got the push to go to CTK.” Her time at CTK was spent learning and growing. With the encouragement of teachers and new friends, she got out of her comfort zone and got involved in a variety of activities, including peer ministry, student council, praise dance, softball, and even became a mathlete. Her lack of confidence in her math skills had led her to request dropping from Honors and AP classes, but her CTK math teachers, Mr. Laughlin and Mr. Bajner refused. While mad at the time, she says, “It motivated me to put in the work necessary to succeed. They saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself.” She credits her CTK teacher interactions with helping her to build relationships with and communicate effectively with her college professors.  

While at CTK, Tamia also benefited from her Corporate Work Study Program assignments at Loyola Press (freshman year), Midwest Orthopedics (sophomore year), and Providence Bank (junior and senior years). Her work experience helped to build her professional, organizational, and people skills, all of which have been assets in college, grad school, and in work situations.  She recalls during her time at Midwest Orthopedics, “I learned how to act like a professional, communicate, and be patient. These are skills I still use today.”

This year, Tamia agreed to return to CTK to help one of her CTK mentors, Mrs. Cheryl Cattledge, with student retreats. Over the summer, she chaperoned a peer minister retreat. She commented on the experience, “It reminded me of the one I did with my classmates. It felt great to be back at CTK and helping current students, and learning again from Mrs. Cattledge.”

Tamia didn’t hesitate in naming her favorite Jesuit Grad at Grad as being “open to growth. She continues to let that quality guide her life, constantly putting herself in situations where she can grow or bring about positive change, while at grad school, or volunteer and work opportunities. Through her chosen career in forensic psychology, she is committed to positively impacting young people in her community, helping them to overcome challenges and experience their own growth.